ljrinaldi's review against another edition
4.0
Glorieta has a problem. She has a new step-mother, Alice, and step-sister, Lilith and brother, Angus, but she doesn't want any of these things. She just wants her mother's ashes back out where they were before her father remarried. Lilith is not nice to her. Alice is busy, as is her father. Why can't any of them see how important that, despite her mother committing suiside, that she be allowed to be buried in the church.
There are several things going on here, including ICE coming by to arrest people, because they can. And Day of the Dead is coming, and Glorieta is hoping to honor her mother this year.
And Lilith doesn't want to be here, with her mother. She wants to be back in Los Angeles, with her Dad.
It is a sweet, moving story, and Glorieta does not give up, and works hard to get what she wants.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
There are several things going on here, including ICE coming by to arrest people, because they can. And Day of the Dead is coming, and Glorieta is hoping to honor her mother this year.
And Lilith doesn't want to be here, with her mother. She wants to be back in Los Angeles, with her Dad.
It is a sweet, moving story, and Glorieta does not give up, and works hard to get what she wants.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
We rarely have a visceral reaction to characters in books, but this story contains an exception. My daughter read it first and warned me that when I got to the part about Lilith to "brace yourself." She's genuinely one of the worst MG characters I've come across in a long time. Her actions are horrible for one so young, no matter her tragic backstory. But without her, the book wouldn't shine quite as much as it does.
The book has two major threads: one deals with the Days of the Dead, as the cover implies, and the primarily Catholic injunction against burying people who commit suicide on consecrated ground. The second shines a light on immigration and how our current administration handles unaccompanied minors by locking them up.
The story takes place in the days before Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. The main character, Glorieta, tries to get her Tia Diosonita to accept her mother's ashes into the family grave plot. Tia Diosonita is dead-set against it, as Glorieta's mom committed suicide.
As Glorieta plans to approach her Tia, her step-mother's two children, Lilith and her little brother, Angus, show up on the doorstep of their trailer. Their father, a TV reality star, dumps them off with Glorieta's step-mom, and the girls have to share a room.
Lilith follows in her father's despicable footsteps by observing Glorieta and finding out what will hurt her the most -- namely making Glorieta's best (but extremely poor) friend go hungry. Then, when la migra raid the trailer park where they live, Lilith acts truly inexcusably -- she insists Glorieta is an illegal immigrant. ICE officers take her from her home when her step-mother can't find the documents that prove she's a citizen.
Glorieta is locked up overnight in an overcrowded cell, given a mylar square to sleep on the floor, and a cereal bar for breakfast. Finally her Tia calls an immigration attorney and her father brings her Social Security card and birth certificate as proof of citizenship and she is freed.
I won't spoil how Glorieta gets her mother into the graveyard, and her Tia Diosonita to accept it, just know there were plenty of tears as we read.
There is an awesome free teaching guide to accompany this text. It deals specifically with issues of injustice, Mexican-American identity and more. It has chapter-by-chapter comprehension questions and creative writing extensions, a glossary of terms, and a set of overall questions for further discussion, analysis and writing.
For the links to the teaching materials mentioned in this review, visit my blog: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
The book has two major threads: one deals with the Days of the Dead, as the cover implies, and the primarily Catholic injunction against burying people who commit suicide on consecrated ground. The second shines a light on immigration and how our current administration handles unaccompanied minors by locking them up.
The story takes place in the days before Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. The main character, Glorieta, tries to get her Tia Diosonita to accept her mother's ashes into the family grave plot. Tia Diosonita is dead-set against it, as Glorieta's mom committed suicide.
As Glorieta plans to approach her Tia, her step-mother's two children, Lilith and her little brother, Angus, show up on the doorstep of their trailer. Their father, a TV reality star, dumps them off with Glorieta's step-mom, and the girls have to share a room.
Lilith follows in her father's despicable footsteps by observing Glorieta and finding out what will hurt her the most -- namely making Glorieta's best (but extremely poor) friend go hungry. Then, when la migra raid the trailer park where they live, Lilith acts truly inexcusably -- she insists Glorieta is an illegal immigrant. ICE officers take her from her home when her step-mother can't find the documents that prove she's a citizen.
Glorieta is locked up overnight in an overcrowded cell, given a mylar square to sleep on the floor, and a cereal bar for breakfast. Finally her Tia calls an immigration attorney and her father brings her Social Security card and birth certificate as proof of citizenship and she is freed.
I won't spoil how Glorieta gets her mother into the graveyard, and her Tia Diosonita to accept it, just know there were plenty of tears as we read.
There is an awesome free teaching guide to accompany this text. It deals specifically with issues of injustice, Mexican-American identity and more. It has chapter-by-chapter comprehension questions and creative writing extensions, a glossary of terms, and a set of overall questions for further discussion, analysis and writing.
For the links to the teaching materials mentioned in this review, visit my blog: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
claremontdiaz's review against another edition
5.0
This book broke my whole heart. I went into it thinking it was going to be about a girl that missed her mother and wanted her to have somewhere to rest, and I got something else entirely.
On the surface, it is as simple as this:
Glorieta Espinosa is a Mexican-American girl that lives in Epoch, New Mexico with her father and her step-mother Alice, who comes with two children, Lilith and Augus, that Glorieta has a hard time living with. When Glorieta’s father remarried, her Mamá’s ashes were locked away into a drawer because her Tia Diosonita condemned her from being buried with the rest of their family as it’s seen to be a sin to commit suicide. Glorieta simply wants her Mamá to be where Glorieta feels she deserves to rest, and she wants it in time for los Días de los Muertos so she can see her and greet her with the rest of her past relatives and loved ones.
But this book is heartbreaking in a lot of ways because it’s not just that.
Not only does it deal with the loss of a loved one in a tragic way and the steps it takes for a family to heal—especially in a particularly religious one with strict beliefs—and mental illness, but it also deals with the pains and trauma of immigration. Although it’s a middle-grade book, Hamilton delivered this as it is. All of the characters are affected deeply by the border patrol officers, and all of them have different outlooks on it.
Glorieta’s cousin, Mateo, is often late to school to make sure his family is safe. Her own father looks down on with some disdain. Father Francis does what he can and risks himself in the process, calling them refugees. More than I can count, it was rattling to read this bone-deep fear of the border patrol officers because then Glorieta is confused for an illegal immigrant because her birth certificate can’t be found quickly enough. It was heartbreaking to read Glorieta wonder why these people that didn’t know her, had never even met her, hated her so much hurt. It makes you wonder how many confused kids think these things and no one can really answer them without also showing the cruel reality of humans and they don’t deserve that.
So although this was a middle-grade book that didn’t take me much time to read, it packed a very emotional and painful punch under the surface. It dealt with a lot of things like death, mental illness, immigration and deportation, religion, and family and what that means sometimes—things that are a bit hard to believe they were found in a children’s book, but appreciated for that fact all the same.
On the surface, it is as simple as this:
Glorieta Espinosa is a Mexican-American girl that lives in Epoch, New Mexico with her father and her step-mother Alice, who comes with two children, Lilith and Augus, that Glorieta has a hard time living with. When Glorieta’s father remarried, her Mamá’s ashes were locked away into a drawer because her Tia Diosonita condemned her from being buried with the rest of their family as it’s seen to be a sin to commit suicide. Glorieta simply wants her Mamá to be where Glorieta feels she deserves to rest, and she wants it in time for los Días de los Muertos so she can see her and greet her with the rest of her past relatives and loved ones.
But this book is heartbreaking in a lot of ways because it’s not just that.
Not only does it deal with the loss of a loved one in a tragic way and the steps it takes for a family to heal—especially in a particularly religious one with strict beliefs—and mental illness, but it also deals with the pains and trauma of immigration. Although it’s a middle-grade book, Hamilton delivered this as it is. All of the characters are affected deeply by the border patrol officers, and all of them have different outlooks on it.
Glorieta’s cousin, Mateo, is often late to school to make sure his family is safe. Her own father looks down on with some disdain. Father Francis does what he can and risks himself in the process, calling them refugees. More than I can count, it was rattling to read this bone-deep fear of the border patrol officers because then Glorieta is confused for an illegal immigrant because her birth certificate can’t be found quickly enough. It was heartbreaking to read Glorieta wonder why these people that didn’t know her, had never even met her, hated her so much hurt. It makes you wonder how many confused kids think these things and no one can really answer them without also showing the cruel reality of humans and they don’t deserve that.
So although this was a middle-grade book that didn’t take me much time to read, it packed a very emotional and painful punch under the surface. It dealt with a lot of things like death, mental illness, immigration and deportation, religion, and family and what that means sometimes—things that are a bit hard to believe they were found in a children’s book, but appreciated for that fact all the same.
jerinpat3's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written, powerful story that holds many truths within!
ipehalena's review against another edition
5.0
This is a pretty simple story, but it contains enough ideas and emotional heft to stick with me for a long time. It's also having a strong charachter development. Although it has a lot of emotions heft but it is not overly heft for teens. Overall, this E-Arc not only have a pretty cover design but also have a beautiful and great story inside.
Thank you Netgalley and Skyhorse Publisher for the Digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley and Skyhorse Publisher for the Digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
bookishbel's review against another edition
4.0
Days of the Dead does not just boast a beautiful cover, it also provides a beautiful story. Hamilton weaves a story of a Mexican-American girl still grieving over her deceased mother while navigating a family that seems to have intentionally forgotten said mother or moved on while simultaneously tackling on issues of immigration polices in the United States. Not an easy thing to accomplish, but Kersten Hamilton does so all the while respecting the Mexican culture and providing an accurate portrayal of it.
melzapel's review against another edition
5.0
ARC provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.
“Magic flows through Epoch, New Mexico. It seeps from the bones of Puerta de la Luna, a village that was hundreds of years old before the United States invaded Mexico and took this territory for its own.”
Days of the Dead is a wonderful book telling the complex story of a Mexican-American girl, Glorieta Espinosa, who lives in Epoch, New Mexico. She lives with her Papi and his new wife Alice, and her two children Lilith and Augus. She wants her Mamá’s ashes to be buried with the rest of the Espinosa in time for los Días de los Muertos. Unfortunately, her Tia Diosonita is the town’s patrona and condemned her Mamá’s suicide. This year, Glorieta has decided nothing will stop her from burying her Mamá’s ashes.
“My Tia Diosonita didn’t believe suicide was a sickness. She thought it was an unforgivable sin. Suicide was the reason La Patrona would not let me speak my mama’s name.”
There are also immigration officers disrupting Epoch’s way of life. Father Francis, a priest at the town’s church, is helping refugees cross the border; however, not everyone is accepting of the new visitors. Every person in the town is deeply affected by the threat of the officers in their small town.
From the very beginning I was enthralled by Kersten Hamilton’s story about this remarkable little girl. While she was still grieving her mother’s untimely death, she easily accepted her new step-mother. At least her Papi was happy again. And while everyone else just accepted that her mother committed suicide, Glorieta truly believed her she might not have. Glo wanted her mother to not be forgotten by her family.
“She could get a lawyer, try to immigrate legally, but even if she did, it would take twenty years for her case to make it to a judge. That’s how long the wait was if you wanted to emigrate from Mexico.”
Immigration played a bigger role than I knew, and it broke my heart. Immigration and border patrol officers were mentioned numerous times and it affects the main characters deeply. There is also a difference in how the topic is treated among most of the characters. Glorieta’s Papi called the visitors aliens. Father Francis used the word refugees. And Glorieta’s cousin, Mateo, was terrified his Tia would be taken.
Numerous times, Hamilton comments on how immigration was affecting everyone. Mateo was late to school for making sure his family was safe. Father Francis put himself at risk by smuggling immigrants into peoples’ houses. But this all culminated in the most tragic scene in Days of the Dead, when Glorieta is confused for an illegal immigrant. She is then forced to spend the night in a detention center before her Papi was able to get her out. It was a scene that truly broke my heart because many people face these problems every day and I commend Hamilton for discussing in Days of the Dead.
Days of the Dead is a story the world needs right now. It is a story about family, immigration and facing our own fears. I 100% loved this book so much and I will bring as much attention as I can to it. You do not need to be a middle grade reader to enjoy Days of the Dead. This story is for everyone. Add this to your TBR pile come September 11,2018!
The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Trigger and content warnings loss of parent, immigration and deportation, suicide
“Magic flows through Epoch, New Mexico. It seeps from the bones of Puerta de la Luna, a village that was hundreds of years old before the United States invaded Mexico and took this territory for its own.”
Days of the Dead is a wonderful book telling the complex story of a Mexican-American girl, Glorieta Espinosa, who lives in Epoch, New Mexico. She lives with her Papi and his new wife Alice, and her two children Lilith and Augus. She wants her Mamá’s ashes to be buried with the rest of the Espinosa in time for los Días de los Muertos. Unfortunately, her Tia Diosonita is the town’s patrona and condemned her Mamá’s suicide. This year, Glorieta has decided nothing will stop her from burying her Mamá’s ashes.
“My Tia Diosonita didn’t believe suicide was a sickness. She thought it was an unforgivable sin. Suicide was the reason La Patrona would not let me speak my mama’s name.”
There are also immigration officers disrupting Epoch’s way of life. Father Francis, a priest at the town’s church, is helping refugees cross the border; however, not everyone is accepting of the new visitors. Every person in the town is deeply affected by the threat of the officers in their small town.
From the very beginning I was enthralled by Kersten Hamilton’s story about this remarkable little girl. While she was still grieving her mother’s untimely death, she easily accepted her new step-mother. At least her Papi was happy again. And while everyone else just accepted that her mother committed suicide, Glorieta truly believed her she might not have. Glo wanted her mother to not be forgotten by her family.
“She could get a lawyer, try to immigrate legally, but even if she did, it would take twenty years for her case to make it to a judge. That’s how long the wait was if you wanted to emigrate from Mexico.”
Immigration played a bigger role than I knew, and it broke my heart. Immigration and border patrol officers were mentioned numerous times and it affects the main characters deeply. There is also a difference in how the topic is treated among most of the characters. Glorieta’s Papi called the visitors aliens. Father Francis used the word refugees. And Glorieta’s cousin, Mateo, was terrified his Tia would be taken.
Numerous times, Hamilton comments on how immigration was affecting everyone. Mateo was late to school for making sure his family was safe. Father Francis put himself at risk by smuggling immigrants into peoples’ houses. But this all culminated in the most tragic scene in Days of the Dead, when Glorieta is confused for an illegal immigrant. She is then forced to spend the night in a detention center before her Papi was able to get her out. It was a scene that truly broke my heart because many people face these problems every day and I commend Hamilton for discussing in Days of the Dead.
Days of the Dead is a story the world needs right now. It is a story about family, immigration and facing our own fears. I 100% loved this book so much and I will bring as much attention as I can to it. You do not need to be a middle grade reader to enjoy Days of the Dead. This story is for everyone. Add this to your TBR pile come September 11,2018!
The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Trigger and content warnings loss of parent, immigration and deportation, suicide
amalia1985's review against another edition
5.0
*Any political comments will be deleted immediately.*
‘’Magic flows through Epoch, New Mexico. It seeps from the bones of Puerta de la Luna, a village that was hundreds of years old before the United States invaded Mexico and took this territory for its own.’’
Puerta de la Luna...an imaginary place born from the culture of the towns and the natural environment of New Mexico. Glorieta has a sad duty as the mystical Días de Los Muertos approach. She has decided to bury her mother’s ashes and give her peace after her tragic death three years ago. The young girl, born of an American father and a Mexican mother, represents the best parts of both cultures, her ancestry is a beacon that leads her to connect with the nature and the people around her. Hamilton creates a beautiful character and a book that is ideal for the approaching celebrations of October, in a world that seems to have lost all sense of equality and tolerance.
‘’What if my skeleton comes out while I’m asleep? What if it walks around in the dark?’’
Hamilton succeeds in creating a novel that is equally tender and dark, in a colourful background of mystical tradition and an extremely harsh reality, set within the period of the Días de Los Muertos, one of the most famous and fascinating world celebrations, when the dead souls visit their relatives. The butterflies that grace the beautiful front cover of the book depict this belief. The traditions of the Espinosa family, the guardian angels, the talisman that will lead you to Heaven, the sins and confessions, the warmth and bonding of a family that is hard and persistent, almost cruel at times. All aspects of the centuries-old, rich Mexican tradition.
Magdalena’s death has cast a heavy shadow over the entire community. Hamilton makes a special reference to depression and the misconceptions associated with it. The oldest woman of the family cannot comprehend it and goes on talking about ‘’unforgivable sins’’ and ‘’the fires of Hell’’. The knowledge of psychological conditions is hard to be attained when unemployment and uncertainty rule. When danger coming from lack of reason lives among the citizens. The sensitive issues of immigration and blind persecution are discreetly but effectively touched. Racism is also a central theme. The minority of the ‘’faithful Christians’’ of certain parts in the Southern states hate every tradition that isn’t ‘’theirs’’, the epitome of new racism, the ones who act like the best representatives of fascism and the evil notion of white supremacy. However, don’t come into this book thinking that it is an endless gloom and doom. Far from it. There are so many beautiful moments, full of warmth and togetherness. I loved the description of the custom of the blessing of animals in the day commemorating Saint Francis of Assisi, a Catholic tradition still held in many parts of Italy and Spain. I adored the references to the one and only Frank Sinatra.
The characters are excellently drawn. You’ll love or hate them but you’ll be equally interested in all of them. Glorieta is such a gem! Determined, braved, kind, intelligent. Angus is such a cute, gentle soul. Francis is a beautiful character. A brave man of principles and with a firm sense of justice and equality. A man who wants to fight a regime that punishes acts of mercy towards children and helpless women. To stand up to a state that says ‘’our children are better than your children.’’ Now, Glorieta’s father is the exact opposite. A rather weak person that didn’t lose time to remarry after his wife’s tragic death. He is one of those who refuse to face the problem using the same old excuse of ‘’but I am only one person!’’ Yeah, mate, if more people thought like that, we would still be hanging people. Lilith is the typical spoiled teenager. It is easy to hate her very soul but in truth, she is a troubled, wounded child full of bitterness because of the way she has been brought up.
This is a beautiful novel, direct and honest, at times painful and terrifying. Will it be too difficult for teenagers? Perhaps, it doesn’t matter. Difficult suits them. Children should be taught acceptance, tolerance, togetherness. Literature is there to help them because their parents are often elsewhere occupied...My profession has taught me this over the years and it is a sad realization but one that applies to a significant minority. How can the world survive the cruelty of children being taken away because of racist, fundamentalist laws? No excuse of so-called security can justify this. Yeah, sure, I mean, let us create the concentration camps of the 21st century...Fortunately, History will remember the so-called ‘’leader’’ of today as she remembers Hitler and Stalin. The question is what happens until then? What happens now? I am sure the quote below encloses the very essence of the problem...
‘’Their lives don’t matter to people who haven’t listened to their stories.’’
Many thanks to Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com
‘’Magic flows through Epoch, New Mexico. It seeps from the bones of Puerta de la Luna, a village that was hundreds of years old before the United States invaded Mexico and took this territory for its own.’’
Puerta de la Luna...an imaginary place born from the culture of the towns and the natural environment of New Mexico. Glorieta has a sad duty as the mystical Días de Los Muertos approach. She has decided to bury her mother’s ashes and give her peace after her tragic death three years ago. The young girl, born of an American father and a Mexican mother, represents the best parts of both cultures, her ancestry is a beacon that leads her to connect with the nature and the people around her. Hamilton creates a beautiful character and a book that is ideal for the approaching celebrations of October, in a world that seems to have lost all sense of equality and tolerance.
‘’What if my skeleton comes out while I’m asleep? What if it walks around in the dark?’’
Hamilton succeeds in creating a novel that is equally tender and dark, in a colourful background of mystical tradition and an extremely harsh reality, set within the period of the Días de Los Muertos, one of the most famous and fascinating world celebrations, when the dead souls visit their relatives. The butterflies that grace the beautiful front cover of the book depict this belief. The traditions of the Espinosa family, the guardian angels, the talisman that will lead you to Heaven, the sins and confessions, the warmth and bonding of a family that is hard and persistent, almost cruel at times. All aspects of the centuries-old, rich Mexican tradition.
Magdalena’s death has cast a heavy shadow over the entire community. Hamilton makes a special reference to depression and the misconceptions associated with it. The oldest woman of the family cannot comprehend it and goes on talking about ‘’unforgivable sins’’ and ‘’the fires of Hell’’. The knowledge of psychological conditions is hard to be attained when unemployment and uncertainty rule. When danger coming from lack of reason lives among the citizens. The sensitive issues of immigration and blind persecution are discreetly but effectively touched. Racism is also a central theme. The minority of the ‘’faithful Christians’’ of certain parts in the Southern states hate every tradition that isn’t ‘’theirs’’, the epitome of new racism, the ones who act like the best representatives of fascism and the evil notion of white supremacy. However, don’t come into this book thinking that it is an endless gloom and doom. Far from it. There are so many beautiful moments, full of warmth and togetherness. I loved the description of the custom of the blessing of animals in the day commemorating Saint Francis of Assisi, a Catholic tradition still held in many parts of Italy and Spain. I adored the references to the one and only Frank Sinatra.
The characters are excellently drawn. You’ll love or hate them but you’ll be equally interested in all of them. Glorieta is such a gem! Determined, braved, kind, intelligent. Angus is such a cute, gentle soul. Francis is a beautiful character. A brave man of principles and with a firm sense of justice and equality. A man who wants to fight a regime that punishes acts of mercy towards children and helpless women. To stand up to a state that says ‘’our children are better than your children.’’ Now, Glorieta’s father is the exact opposite. A rather weak person that didn’t lose time to remarry after his wife’s tragic death. He is one of those who refuse to face the problem using the same old excuse of ‘’but I am only one person!’’ Yeah, mate, if more people thought like that, we would still be hanging people. Lilith is the typical spoiled teenager. It is easy to hate her very soul but in truth, she is a troubled, wounded child full of bitterness because of the way she has been brought up.
This is a beautiful novel, direct and honest, at times painful and terrifying. Will it be too difficult for teenagers? Perhaps, it doesn’t matter. Difficult suits them. Children should be taught acceptance, tolerance, togetherness. Literature is there to help them because their parents are often elsewhere occupied...My profession has taught me this over the years and it is a sad realization but one that applies to a significant minority. How can the world survive the cruelty of children being taken away because of racist, fundamentalist laws? No excuse of so-called security can justify this. Yeah, sure, I mean, let us create the concentration camps of the 21st century...Fortunately, History will remember the so-called ‘’leader’’ of today as she remembers Hitler and Stalin. The question is what happens until then? What happens now? I am sure the quote below encloses the very essence of the problem...
‘’Their lives don’t matter to people who haven’t listened to their stories.’’
Many thanks to Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com
readingintheflx's review against another edition
3.0
The book was good! It hit on cultural traditions, politics, and family in a middle level friendly way. However, I’m a little hesitant about the author and maybe some cultural appropriation. I could not find enough to support this either way, but I do think it’s important that stories should be told from those who have firsthand experience.